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Teen Drinking 

and Driving

The percentage of teens in high school who drink 

and drive has decreased by more than half since 

1991,* but more can be done. Nearly one million 

high school teens drank alcohol and got behind 

the wheel in 2011. Teen drivers are 3 times more 

likely than more experienced drivers to be in a 

fatal crash. Drinking any alcohol greatly increases 

this risk for teens. 

Research has shown that factors that help to 

keep teens safe include parental involvement, 

minimum legal drinking age and zero tolerance 

laws, and graduated driver licensing systems. 

These proven steps can protect the lives of more 

young drivers and everyone who shares the road 

with them. Young drivers (ages 16-20) 

are 17 times more likely to 

die in a crash when they 

have a blood alcohol 

concentration of .08% 

than when they have not 

been drinking.

17x

 A Dangerous Mix 

*High school students aged 16 years and older who, when surveyed, 

said they had driven a vehicle one or more times during the past 30 

days when they had been drinking alcohol. 

1 in 10

One in 10 teens in high school 

drinks and drives.*

The percentage of teens in high 

school who drink and drive has 

decreased by more than half 

since 1991.

54%

 www http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns

See page 4

Want to learn more? Visit

October 2012

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 

Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention
Problem

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Drinking and driving 

can be deadly

especially for teens

Fewer teens are drinking and driving, 

but this risky behavior is still a 

major threat. 

◊ Drinking and driving among teens in high 

school has gone down by 54% since 1991. 

Still, high school teens drive after drinking 

about 2.4 million times a month.

◊ 85% of teens in high school who report 

drinking and driving in the past month also 

say they binge drank. In the survey, binge 

drinking was defined as having 5 or more 

alcoholic drinks within a couple of hours.

◊ 1 in 5 teen drivers involved in fatal crashes 

had some alcohol in their system in 2010. 

Most of these drivers (81%) had BACs* 

higher than the legal limit for adults.

Preventing Teen Drinking and Driving: 

What Works

◊ Minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws in every state 

make it illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under age 21. 

Research has shown that enforcement of MLDA laws using 

alcohol retailer compliance checks has reduced retail sales of 

alcohol to those under the legal drinking age.

◊ Zero tolerance laws in every state make it illegal for those 

under age 21 to drive after drinking any alcohol. Research 

has demonstrated that these laws have reduced drinking and 

driving crashes involving teens. 

◊ Graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems help new drivers 

get more experience under less risky conditions. As teens 

move through stages, they gain privileges, such as driving at 

night or driving with passengers. Every state has GDL, but 

the specific rules vary. Research indicates that GDL systems 

prevent crashes and save lives. 

◊ Parental involvement, with a focus on monitoring and 

restricting what new drivers are allowed to do, helps keep 

new drivers safe as they learn to drive. Parents can consider 

creating and signing a parent-teen driving agreement with 

their teens. Research has shown that when parents establish 

and enforce the “rules of the road”, new drivers report lower 

rates of risky driving, traffic violations, and crashes

The percentage of teens in high school, aged 16 years or older, 

who drink and drive has decreased by more than half.

1991

0%

25%

20%

15%

YEAR

PERCENTAGE

10%

5%

1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

54%

DROP

Source: Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, United States, 1991-2011

*Blood alcohol concentration. It is illegal for adults to drive 

with a BAC of .08% or higher. It is illegal for anyone under 

age 21 to drive after drinking any alcohol in all US states.
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Who Is At Risk?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

White, 

non-Hispanic

Black, 

non-Hispanic

Hispanic

Age 16

Age 17

Age 18+

Male

Female

Total

Total

FL

NY

UT

ID

KS

NC

AR

IN

MI

AK

HI

AZ

CO

NE

MT

WY

LA

AL

WI

NM

ND

SD

IA

TX

MS

SC

OK TN

KY

IL OH

WV MD

DE

NJ

VT

RI

CT

NH

MA

VA

GA

Percentage

11.3% - 14.5%

9.2% - 11.0%

4.6% - 8.9%

Data not available

Percentage of teens in high school, aged 16 years or older, 

who reported drinking and driving, by state.

Some teens in high school drink and drive more than others.

CA

WA

OR

NV

ME

MN

MO

PA

Source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2011

Source: Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 41 states, 2011

Data not available for CA, HI, ME, MN, MO, NV, OR, PA, and WA.
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 www http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns

 www http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr

For more information, please contact 

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

TTY: 1-888-232-6348

E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Web: www.cdc.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333

Publication date: 10/02/2012

What Can Be Done

States and communities can

◊ Increase awareness among teens and parents.

◊ Strengthen enforcement of existing policies, 

such as minimum legal drinking age and zero 

tolerance laws, and graduated driver 

licensing systems.

Pediatricians and other health 

professionals can 

◊ Screen teens for risky behaviors, including the 

following:

• Using alcohol, drugs or other substances

• Driving after alcohol or drug use 

• Riding with a driver who has been using 

alcohol or drugs 

◊ Educate parents and teens about the risks of 

drinking and driving. 

◊ Encourage parents of new teen drivers to 

set and enforce the “rules of the road” and 

consider tools like parent-teen driving 

agreements.

◊ Remind parents to lead by example as safe 

drivers, starting even before their child is old 

enough to drive. 

Teens can

◊ Choose to never drink and drive. 

◊ Refuse to ride in a car with a teen driver who 

has been drinking. 

◊ Know and follow their state’s GDL laws. 

◊ Follow “rules of the road” in their parent-teen 

driving agreement. 

◊ Wear a seat belt on every trip, no matter 

how short.

◊ Obey speed limits.

◊ Never use a cell phone or text while driving.

Parents can

◊ Understand that most teens who drink do so to 

get drunk. 

◊ Recognize the dangers of teen drinking and 

driving and that teen drivers are at much 

greater risk of crashing after drinking alcohol 

than adult drivers. 

◊ Provide teens with a safe way to get home 

(such as picking them up or paying for a cab) if 

their driver has been drinking.

◊ Model safe driving behavior.

◊ Consider tools like parent-teen driving 

agreements to set and enforce the “rules of the 

road” for new drivers. Safe driving habits for 

teens include the following: 

• Never drink and drive

• Follow state GDL laws

• Wear a seat belt on every trip

• Limit nighttime driving 

• Set a limit on the number of 

teen passengers 

• Never use a cell phone or text while driving

• Obey speed limits 

CS234622-B

Get your copy of CDC’s parent-teen driving 

agreement and learn more about safe teen 

driving at www.cdc.gov/ParentsAreTheKey.